Bandages
by Kyoneko7
Summary: After a mission, Natsu and Lucy begin dating. However, Natsu hasn't been acting like himself lately, and Gray may be the only one who can help Lucy. NatsuXLucy and GrayXLucy. Rated T for some language and suggestive themes.
1. Chapter 1:  Lucy and Flamehead

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters

This is my first fanfic ever so we'll see how it goes xD

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><p>She downed her second drink of the evening. The guild was quiet for the most part as many members had already gone home for the night. Lucy, however, remained at the bar, telling Mira the details about her latest mission which she and Natsu had taken on by themselves.<p>

"It all just seemed like it was happening so fast," Lucy confessed to the silver-haired girl who was now much like an older sister to her. "But I can't deny that I was really happy." She blushed at the last few words.

Mira's eyes sparkled with happiness, and she quickly reached over the counter and clasped Lucy's hands in hers. "Oh, Lucy, I'm so happy for you," she squealed. "I told you he liked you, didn't I?"

Lucy turned a violent shade of red. "Would you quiet down?" she hissed. "I don't want anyone to overhear us!" She quickly looked around her to see if they had acquired any unwanted attention. When she decided the coast was clear, she settled herself in her seat and continued the discussion. "I was just surprised is all." She lowered her eyes. "Never in a million years did I think he'd have the guts to do something like that. I honestly didn't think he even saw me as a girl. But then it happened. Under the stars, it was so romantic. It was almost like he was a different person…"

"Don't be silly, Lucy-chan," Mira smiled. "He's probably just matured a bit since you two have met. Hmm, I wonder where he is anyway." Her eyes began to scan the nearly empty tables in the guild in search of a certain dragonslayer, but instead, she made eye contact with a dark haired mage who had been looking their way quite intently for the past twenty minutes. "That poor boy," Mira muttered to herself.

"Did you say something, Mira-chan?" Lucy asked.

"No, nothing at all." Mira waved it off. "Oh, speak of the devil," she said as Natsu approached the bar.

Lucy spun around in her stool. "Natsu," she said, surprised, a slight blush still lingering on her cheeks.

Natsu reached for Lucy's hand and helped her down from her seat. "Hey, Luce. Do you wanna head out?" he asked casually.

"S-sure," Lucy stuttered, her cheeks burning even brighter. She followed him out of the guild, her hand still tightly wound with his.

"I always had a feeling about those two," Mira sighed as she returned to cleaning some glasses.

"You have?"

Mira looked up from her work to find the ice mage now sitting at the counter and smiled warmly. "Hello, Gray. Would you like a drink?" Gray nodded in response and she poured him a glass of whiskey. "Something's bothering you, isn't it?" she asked knowingly.

"Eh, what?" Gray babbled. He took a long sip of his drink.

"That's usually the reason why you come over here. Plus, I noticed you were watching Lucy for quite a while just now."

Gray's face turned a light shade of pink. He cleared his throat. "So…Lucy and flamehead, huh?" His eyes drifted towards the floor as he mentioned his rival. Mira remained silent, looking at Gray with knowing eyes, and patted his forearm sympathetically.

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><p>Poor Gray :( Ah well, we'll just have to see what happens next. Next chapter should be up soonish. R &amp; R please! :D<p> 


	2. Chapter 2: Bruises?

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of the characters.

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><p>Several weeks passed without incident. The new couple, Natsu and Lucy, had become old news, and the guild had returned to its normal rhythm. Gray slouched at one of the tables, his hands behind his head, watching his nakama solemnly.<p>

"Gray-sama, your clothes," said Juvia next to him. She placed her hands on her face, her cheeks turning bright red as she stared at Gray's sculpted chest and abs. Gray jumped up, searching for his shirt, as a few other guild members chided him for his exhibitionist habits.

In the midst of this, the guild doors opened, and everyone was shocked to see Lucy entering the guild by herself this morning. She was wearing a long-sleeved top today, despite the sweltering weather, garnering several odd looks from some of her guild mates. Feeling awkward from the sudden attention, Lucy quickly stated, "Natsu isn't feeling well today, so he won't be coming." Most everyone was satisfied with this fact and went back to what they were doing. One black-haired mage in particular, however, hadn't taken his eyes off of her. Something about her was just off today.

Lucy quickly made her way to the bar and cheerfully greeted Mira. Gray continued to watch them intently. There was just something about Lucy today. The way her hair fell on her shoulders. The way she seemed more self-conscious than usual. But that long-sleeved top was definitely the strangest part of it all. The more he thought about it, the more he wondered if he'd ever seen her wear a long sleeved shirt at all. Something was definitely wrong, and he needed to know what.

"What is Gray-sama looking at?" questioned a frustrated Juvia. Gray turned his head for a moment and regarded her, but didn't say a word, quickly returning to rest his gaze on Lucy. "Could it be Juvia's love rival?" the water mage continued. But Gray did not acknowledge her this time.

The friendly conversation between Lucy and Mira seemed to change drastically, as he noticed Mira's brow crease with worry. She reached for Lucy's shoulder as if trying to comfort her. The blonde mage then rolled up her left sleeve and showed her friend something on her arm. Shock slowly crept across Mira's features as she examined Lucy's forearm, then quickly rolled the sleeve back down, resting her hand on Lucy's arm.

Gray felt incredibly uneasy. It was apparent that Lucy had been hurt somehow, but by what? Or who? Ideas began swarming in his mind like a hive of bees, noisy and unsettling. Whoever had done that to her, he swore he'd hurt them. But he'd have to get after Natsu as well. The idiot obviously hadn't done a very good job of protecting his girlfriend.

"Gray-sama, is something wrong?" Juvia asked, concerned. She watched as pain spread across his face, then quickly turned the other way. "Oh, Gray-sama," she cried, "it pains Juvia so much to see her precious Gray-sama in this state, and Juvia is not always sure of what she could do, but Gray-sama should know that Juvia will always be there for him and will always—" she turned back around only to find Gray was no longer next to her. "Gray-sama?" she shouted, scanning the room, finding him now next to the blonde-haired mage at the bar. "Gray-sama," Juvia whimpered.

Gray casually seated himself next to Lucy at the bar. Both she and Mira were taken aback slightly by his sudden appearance. "Hey, Luce," he said, giving her his famous smirk. "How have you been? It feels like I haven't had a conversation with you for a while now."

"I'm doing fine, Gray, thanks," Lucy replied rather timidly. Something definitely wasn't right.

"How are things with Natsu?" the ice mage asked coolly, more out of courtesy than interest.

"Oh…" Lucy seemed bothered by the subject. "Well he's doing fine. He decided to go on a fishing trip with Happy today so they won't be coming to the guild."

"I thought you said he wasn't feeling well today."

"Did I say that? Oh, well…he's just taking the day off I suppose," Lucy stated. Her eyes remained glued to the counter.

Gray regarded her carefully for a moment. "Is everything okay, Lucy?"

Lucy practically jumped at the question, her eyes drifting to Mira as if searching for an excuse. Mira merely smiled at Gray and said, "Of course everything's okay, right, Lucy?" Lucy nodded in response, still avoiding eye contact with Gray.

"Are you sure?" Gray asked carefully. His gaze drifted towards her left arm suggestively. Mira gasped slightly, and Lucy realized what Gray was really asking.

"I should leave," Lucy said quickly. "I should probably check on Natsu. He might get upset if I leave him alone for too long." She smiled at both of them and made her way out of the guild.

Mira turned to Gray. "I realize you're worried, Gray. Believe me, I am too, but maybe it's not our place to get involved."

Realization swept over Gray as he recognized the true nature of the situation. He'd definitely hurt that fiery idiot. He looked at Mira intently, resolve lurking in his eyes. "Well, I think I just made it my place to get involved," he said, turning away and walking out of the guild. Left hand in his pocket, he raised his other in parting as he walked out the door.

"Good luck, Gray," Mira whispered.


	3. Chapter 3: When He's Himself

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of the characters (but I wish I owned Gray xD)

Thank you to those of you who have reviewed A couple of you were concerned about the way Natsu was acting, and I agree that it seems like a weird behavior for him as well. It was almost painful to even think that he could do such a thing. But the characters seem to be acting on their own at this point. I'm surprised I've even made it to a third chapter. In any case, keep on reading, and you might just find out what's really going on… :P

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><p>Lucy held herself tightly as she walked back to her apartment. A slight breeze rustled her blonde locks, and her eyes remained glued to the cobblestone road. Plue followed closely behind her, listening to her as she confessed her worries. "I hope I didn't worry Mirajane too much," she sighed. "It's just been difficult keeping all of this to myself for the past month." She turned her eyes up to the fiery red sky. "But I love Natsu and I know he loves me too. We'll definitely get through this together." Her heart lightened at the thought and her lips curled into a sweet smile.<p>

After walking a couple more blocks, she paused in front of a bookstore, deciding whether or not to enter. "I just wish I could see the real Natsu for more than a few minutes at a time though," she whispered. "It's quite a dilemma, isn't it, Plue?" She smiled sadly at the dog-like creature by her feet. Slowly, she turned her head forward, and entered the bookstore.

Further back down the road, Gray was walking at a casual pace. "She hasn't seemed to notice me yet," he muttered. "Her mind must be really preoccupied." He stopped, still far enough from the bookstore that he wouldn't be noticed. _I wonder what kind of book she'll get today, _he thought. He stepped back into a nearby alley and waited.

Shortly after, Lucy emerged from the store with a fairly large book in one of her hands. Gray squinted to make out the title of the book. "Looks like something about dispelling curses," he mumbled. He wasn't sure what to think. She could be researching something for one of her novels, or she might have just picked up the book out of sheer curiosity. Having a growing curiosity of his own, Gray continued to follow the girl silently.

...

Lucy walked up the steps to her apartment door, having already sent Plue back to the spirit world. She removed her keys from her belt (she had decided it would be easiest just to keep her house keys with her summoning keys), unlocked the door, took a deep breath, and entered slowly. She was startled to find Natsu shirtless, back against the couch, knees drawn to his chest, with his head in his hands. "Natsu?" she cried, running to her boyfriend's side. She knelt before him, placing her hands on either side of his face. "What's wrong?" Her eyes swept his body, searching for any indication that he might be in pain.

A small sob escaped his lips. "I'm so sorry, Lucy," he said, barely audible. "I'm so sorry." Lucy pulled him into her chest, placing one of her hands behind his head, stroking his tousled pink hair. Her eyes, wide and expectant, drifted towards Happy, who had been watching the entire spectacle from the kitchen counter.

Happy stared at her, a look of relief on his face, and nodded. "Aye, it's him," he confirmed.

Lucy stared back down at the crying boy in her arms. Her eyes softened, but were still sad. "My poor Natsu," she whispered.

"Lucy, I'm going to go get something from our house," Happy said. "You'll probably be okay with him for now. Just don't make him doing anything dirty while I'm gone." He snickered as he flew out the open window.

Lucy smiled slightly at the blue cat's lewd comment, still watching the sad boy. "Please don't cry, Natsu," she said soothingly.

"Lucy. I'm so sorry, Lucy," the dragonslayer repeated. He removed his face from her shoulder and looked into her eyes. "I never wanted to do anything like that to you. I never could have imagined doing something like that. I _love_ you." The look in his eyes proved he wasn't lying.

"I know, Natsu," she replied, her voice low. "But you can't keep blaming yourself. It wasn't you. I was being careless, but at least now we know more about the situation. Besides, it doesn't hurt that bad." She smiled at him sweetly.

"But if I hadn't been so careless in the first place, this wouldn't even be happening," Natsu argued.

"It's not your fault. End. Of. Story."

"It is Luce," Natsu smiled sadly. "But honestly, I'm really surprised no one has said anything at the guild."

"They've merely reasoned that your sudden change in behavior has something to do with you hitting puberty, and finally realizing what boobs are."

"That's really not very funny."

"I know. But it was worth it, I think, to try and make you smile." She leaned in a little closer. "I love you, Natsu. And I swear we'll get through this together."

"Lucy…" Natsu reached a hand towards her face, swiping a few hairs out of her eyes. He pulled her in, agonizingly slowly, until their lips finally met, crushing against each other in a small burst of passion. He pulled away for a moment, looking into her eyes, then brought his lips back to hers again, his tongue gliding against her lower lip, begging for entrance. She obliged, her body melting into his as his hand slid slowly down her arm to her waist, pulling her in tighter. She felt like she couldn't get close enough.

Natsu fell backwards onto the floor, pulling Lucy on top of him. She took the opportunity to deepen the kiss as Natsu's hands slid up her shirt. The pure shock of his hot fingertips against her skin was almost too much to handle. She pulled away from the kiss, both of them gasping for air, and rested her forehead against his, staring deeply into her lover's eyes.

Outside, a dark-haired boy stood listening outside the window, mulling over what he had just heard. As he looked up to the now clouded sky, a raindrop landed on his face, rolling down his cheek.

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><p>Yep, so things are definitely starting to get crazy xD Plus, I really kinda wanted to give Lucy and Natsu a moment. I love GraLu the most, but I do enjoy some NaLu every now and then :P Please R &amp; R! Next chapter should be up soon :)<p> 


	4. Chapter 4: Safe in Your Arms

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of the characters. The story, however, belongs to me :P

First off I have to say that I just read the latest chapter of Fairy Tail and Gray was so badass and cool looking that I almost had a fangirl moment.

Second, sorry if Lucy's little crack about Natsu going through puberty was confusing at all. It was simply meant as a joke, where Lucy basically told Natsu that the guild members were making fun of him behind his back. It is assumed that Natsu has been acting a bit different than usual, and his guild mates just say that maybe it is because he has finally started to mature, and I'm sure most everyone sees Natsu as having a childish demeanor, thus the puberty joke :P

Third, don't forget about the book that Lucy got at the bookstore. I was hoping it might drop some hints, but maybe it didn't come across too clearly. I hope I can make this chapter clearer around this fact, but I don't want to give away more than I need to in order to help the story progress :)

And last, but not least, thanks as always to those of you who took the time to review :-D I appreciate it tons, and seeing the nice comments makes my day that much brighter.

Oh yes, and I am ridiculously tired right now, but I feel like I should write, but I'm not sure if my brain is functioning correctly, so I can't really say how this chapter will turn out xD

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><p>Lucy sat on the couch, with Natsu sitting on the floor, his back leaning against her legs. A serene smile graced Lucy's lips as she ran her fingers mindlessly through his hair. "You don't plan on leaving me anytime soon, do you?" She lowered her lips to his ear, whispering the question.<p>

"I'm still here, aren't I?" Natsu replied. "I mean, I'm still me. I'm still in control." He turned to face Lucy, giving her a quick, gentle kiss on the lips.

"The whole mission was just a mess," the girl sighed. "I'm an idiot for not realizing what happened sooner."

"You can't blame yourself, Luce," he said, resting his forehead against hers. His eyes dropped to his hands. "We didn't know who we were dealing with. And we underestimated him. But if you think about it differently, we did rid those townspeople of their problem. Unfortunately, their problem has just become ours instead now…"

Lucy placed her fingers against her temples, closing her eyes. "It's just, I can't seem to remember how it happened. I've been replaying the scene in my head over and over, but for some reason, that fight—that part of the mission—is sort of a blur to me." She groaned, holding her face in her hands. "I'm sure I could have prevented him from doing this to you," she muttered.

Natsu grabbed one of her hands, holding it tightly, forcing her to look up at him. "I wish I could tell you more, Lucy, but all I can really remember after that is leaving the town…Maybe we should just try to focus on how to fix this, rather than how it happened."

"Natsu! I almost forgot!" Lucy shouted suddenly, springing up from her seat. She quickly walked over to the small table by the door, and grabbed the large book she had placed there when she entered. Pointing at the cover of the book she said, "I picked this up at the bookstore. I think it might be able to help us fix this whole mess. And let us get back to our normal lives." She smiled brightly at the fire mage, then began quickly flipping through the book. When something caught her eye, she stopped. "Aha!" she shouted. "I think I may have found something useful!" She turned the book around to show Natsu, failing to realize his changing demeanor in the process.

Natsu was looking at the floor, his head tilted in such a way that a shadow cast over his face, veiling his eyes. His lips slowly curled into a serpentine smile, and his fists were tightly clenched. A cold chuckle escaped his lungs.

"N-Natsu," Lucy choked, dropping the book and taking a small step backwards towards the door.

Slowly, Natsu stood up, raising his head, and cocking it to the side slightly as he watched the blonde-haired mage. His eyes were suddenly darker, and the look on his face more sure, more condescending, than the Natsu Lucy knew. He took a few steps in her direction, watching her tremble in fear, and clearly enjoying the reaction he elicited from her. He stopped about a foot away from her, and reached a hand towards her face. He stroked her cheek with his finger, smirking as she cowered from his touch.

"You're not Natsu," she whimpered, turning her head away and shutting her eyes.

Natsu grabbed her chin roughly, and forced her to look at him. "Insolent girl," he snarled. "Did you really think I'd let you get rid of me that easily?" The tone and shape of his voice was deeper, darker. "Researching all this nonsense behind my back, thinking you can turn everything to the way it was. Well, let me tell you something." His hand lowered to her neck, grabbing her by the scruff of her shirt. "Your pathetic little boyfriend won't be coming back. This body is mine now." He shoved her against the wall.

Lucy grunted in pain, her body sliding to the floor. She turned her head away, looking up at him with one eye open, wincing from the blow.

"I'm not done with you yet," he growled, grabbing her by the collar and pulling her up until she was level with his face. "You won't be getting off that easy." He smirked, then crushed his lips against hers.

Lucy kicked and pushed at him in protest. He pulled away, an agitated look on his face. "No!" she screamed, glaring at him, "You're not Natsu!"

"Stupid brat," he shouted, this time throwing her down on the coffee table. She screamed in agony as a broken shard of glass from the table top slit her left thigh. "I'm gonna make you wish you hadn't done that," he said through gritted teeth. He grabbed at her shirt, ripping off one of her sleeves in the process.

"That's enough."

The pink-haired boy paused and looked up at the open window to find a black-haired mage standing there, his arms crossed, and his eyes hidden by his hair. "Who the hell are you?" he asked, confusion creasing his brow.

"Gr-Gray," Lucy managed, struggling to lift her head.

Gray approached them, his eyes dark. "I don't know who the fuck you think you are," he said, pulling back his fist, "but you sure as hell aren't Natsu!" He shouted the last few words as his fist made contact with Natsu's face, sending the boy flying. Natsu's body hit the wall, slumping to the floor.

Gray looked down at Lucy, who was still lying on the floor. The intense look he wore earlier was quickly replaced with concern. "Lucy, are you okay?" he crouched beside her, sadness apparent in his eyes.

"I'm scared," Lucy stammered, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Gray felt a pain in his chest. Just looking at her like this was breaking his heart. "I can't believe he'd do this," he whispered, clenching his fists.

Lucy said nothing as Gray scooped her up into his arms. She buried her face in his chest, unable to stop the tears flowing from her eyes. Right now, she felt safe in his arms, and didn't want him to let go.

Gray opened the door, carried her down the stairs, and outside. "I'm sorry your apartment's such a mess now," he said quietly. He continued walking, still holding her tightly against his chest, the rain falling steadily. He wouldn't stop walking until he carried her to a place where she could be safe in his arms.

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><p>Ahhh I know, I know, the story is getting crazy now, and I hope it's not too confusing xD. But I'm really tired and will be going to bed now after posting this. As always, reviews are highly appreciated and encouraged. Also, I am sort of wondering, who would you guys want Lucy to end up with? Natsu? Or Gray?<p> 


	5. Chapter 5: Confession

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail or any of the characters.

Hello everyone! Thank you so much to those of you who reviewed! I must say though that I really don't know which pairing I would pick myself. I think I just really like the idea of a love triangle between the three lol. But we will just have to see where it goes, and the characters will decide for themselves haha

I've been looking forward to this particular chapter very much…Finally, a nice long moment between Gray and Lucy!

Fun fact: I actually wrote this chapter first when I decided to make a Fairy Tail fanfic, and it was originally going to be a oneshot xD

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><p>Gray's apartment was very minimalistic. It was small, with only one or two windows, and there was no true distinction between the living room and bedroom. He had decided it wasn't necessary to have a fancy place anyway—he spent the majority of his time at the guild, or Lucy's apartment. There was a bathroom at the other end of the apartment, and a small kitchen at the center. A low, full sized bed was the only piece of furniture in the bedroomliving room area, and a pile of his clothes decorated the floor near his bed. In the kitchen, there were a couple barstools by the counter.

Gray carried Lucy slowly towards his bed, staring down at her, still crying with her face buried in his chest. He never wanted to let go of her.

She felt weak and useless in his strong arms as he sat her down on the edge of his bed. Details of the episode flickered and danced in her mind, vivid and unyielding like Natsu's flames. She clutched herself tightly, a small whimper escaping her trembling lips.

Gray only watched her for a moment, taking in every detail of her disgruntled beauty. His brow creased with worry as his eyes traveled from the giant gash in her left leg up to her frightened chocolate brown eyes—eyes which looked nowhere in particular. Her blonde tresses were matted with sweat and a little bit of blood, and her arms were crossed tightly around her chest as if she feared her heart and soul would spill from her body if she let go. A trickle of dim moonlight shone through the solitary window above his bed, basking her skin in eerie whiteness.

Gray exhaled slowly, trying to steady himself. An almost animalistic rage threatened to rip apart his insides—he couldn't believe that idiot would do something like this to her. That he would put himself in a position where he might hurt her. And did. It wasn't like him to be this stupid. And gray would never be able to forgive him for doing this to nakama. To _Lucy_, of all people. Someone he was supposed to love, as much as it pained Gray to see them together.

He knelt before her, holding one of her hands, trying to disrupt her distant gaze to no avail. "Lucy," he whispered. "Please say something. Anything. Let me know you're okay." He waited patiently for a response, but none came.

After several minutes of silence, he removed his white T-shirt and began to rip the cloth into wide, long strips. "Wait here," he commanded, then he went to the kitchen to grab an antiseptic, a bowl of water, and a small washcloth. He placed the water and antiseptic on the floor and knelt before her again. Carefully, he ran his fingers across the gash in her leg, a light, icy mist trailing from his fingertips as he numbed her leg until the pain was only a dull ache. He then dipped he washcloth into the water and began washing the gash, following this with the antiseptic in order to prevent infection. He then wrapped the wound with the strips of cloth he made earlier, until it was neatly bandaged. When he was finished, he ran his fingers up and down the bandages for a moment, pausing to glance up at her.

The emptiness in her eyes was unbearable, and he reached out to touch her face, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear in the process. "Lucy, are you okay?" he asked softly.

After several minutes, her lips began to move. "N-Natsu," she choked. Gray felt a familiar stinging pain in his chest, and gently lowered his hand from her face. He lowered his eyes to the floor, and clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. How was she even able to say that idiot's name after what had happened? "Natsu…" she whispered again, beckoning for the man who had hurt her.

Gray placed his face in his hands. She had no idea how much it hurt him to see her in this state, saying that person's name, no less. A hollow ache was settling in his stomach as an invisible hand wrenched his throbbing heart. He reached for her hand in the darkness, holding it firmly, as if trying to hold her there in that moment. Pull her back to him.

"Natsu," she repeated. Gray gritted his teeth. He couldn't handle it anymore.

"Dammit, Lucy, stop saying his name," he hissed through clenched teeth. The girl looked at him suddenly, finally, but her eyes showed she was still in shock. Gray gazed into her eyes intensely, picking his words carefully, so as not to scare her away. "He's not here, Lucy," he stated calmly. "And he won't be coming here either. I won't let him." He squeezed her hand tightly. "I won't let him see you ever again." For some reason, a hard lump formed in his throat at the idea. He watched Lucy's face as his words hung thick in the air. A single tear sluiced down her right cheek.

"No, Lucy, please don't cry," Gray pleaded. He reached out and caught the tear on his finger, letting his hand caress her face. "The things he did to you are unforgivable," he whispered, "and I swear I'll never let him lay a finger on you again."

"No, Gray," Lucy finally said. She stared at him, her eyes sad. "You don't understand. That wasn't him. That wasn't Natsu!" She spat out the last few words in frustration.

Gray's eyes widened at her words. H chuckled sadly. "You're delusional, Lucy," he said firmly. "I saw what happened to you. And I don't care if you say it wasn't Natsu. Maybe it wasn't, but there is no denying that it's not safe for you to be around him! I mean, technically it was him, dammit!"

Lucy's breath caught in her throat, and tears threatened to spill from her eyes. She shook her head slowly from side to side. "No, it wasn't him," she whispered.

"Open your eyes, Lucy. I'm trying to help you. Honestly, you should hate him for letting that happen. For hurting you. For—"

"I could never hate him!" Lucy interjected. "I never could. I love him," she said, adamant, tears streaming down her cheeks.

At that moment, Gray's heart finally shattered. Completely. He dropped his eyes to the floor again, apparent pain lining the features of his face.

"Gray?" Now it was Lucy's turn to be concerned. She was surprised at his sudden change in behavior. She inched closer to him and rested her forehead against his shoulder. "Please tell me what you're really thinking. What this is really all about," she whispered.

Gray inhaled sharply. He glanced down at her small frame, wanting nothing more than to hold her, breathe her in. But he resisted the temptation for the umpteenth time, and chose to use words instead. "I just don't understand, Lucy, how you could continue to love him. I hate his guts for what happened back there. For what he did to you. No matter how you look at it, it was still his fault. And I hate anyone who would even dare hurt you like he did." His breath was shaky as he slid his hand up her arm to her shoulder, and turned her to face him. He couldn't control how he was feeling anymore. How she made him feel. His hand slid across her skin, up her neck, and stopped at her cheek. "I…Lucy, I…" He trailed off, his face inching closer towards hers, until she could only make out his eyes in the darkness, sincere, yet sad at the same time.

She was speechless, couldn't move, as his breath tickled her skin, and his lips brushed against her cheek bone, resting against her ear. "I love you, Lucy," he whispered. The words echoed in her head like a hollow thud. "I always have." And his lips skimmed the hollow behind her ear, sparking electricity somewhere in her body, then traveled along her jawline, until they finally met with hers.

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><p>Kind of a cliffhanger here…how will Lucy react to Gray's kiss?<p>

Also, the next chapter might not be done as quickly, since I am also working on a short one-shot. It will be GraLu themed, and the tone will be much lighter and funnier than this one. And it might end up being rated M for more "adult" themes xD We'll see.

Thanks for taking the time to read this! Please review! Thank you! ^_^


	6. Chapter 6: Ice

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail or any of the characters, but the ideas in this story belong to me :P

Thank you so much to those of you who reviewed ^_^ I really love reading all of your guys' comments. They really do make me smile. When I wake up in the morning, the first thing I do is check my email to see if my story got any reviews. It might seem kind of weird but it's true haha

In the next couple of days, I might actually be able to update a little faster because I won't have to work :P I would love to try doing two chapters in one day, but I don't want to get my hopes up about that lol

Well, without further ado, let's get on with the story, shall we? xD

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><p>"I love you, Lucy," he whispered. The words echoed in her head like a hollow thud. "I always have." And his lips skimmed the hollow behind her ear, sparking electricity somewhere in her body, then traveled along her jawline, until finally, they met with hers.<p>

Her eyes widened and her body froze. Gray sensed this, and placed his right hand behind her neck, ice forming on his fingertips. Lucy gasped at the sudden cold sensation entwining with her hot skin, and the ice mage took the opportunity to elicit further reactions from her. His mouth moved slowly against her now parted lips, and when she gasped again, he knew it wasn't because of the cold against her neck.

Lucy couldn't comprehend what she was feeling. Her body felt like it was on fire, yet cold at the same time. Her mind was clouded and hazy, and a strange feeling arose in her chest, as if her heart kept somersaulting at unexpected moments. And Gray was kissing her. Gray. Not Natsu. Shouldn't she have been trying to stop him? But her body didn't want to move. At least, not under those pretenses.

Gray's lips trailed down her neck, and Lucy closed her eyes, feeling that same strange pull in her chest at the unexpected touch. She was suddenly very aware of the fact that Gray wasn't wearing a shirt. That he hadn't been for a while. Instinctively, she craned her neck backwards as Gray kissed back up to her ear. "Lucy," he said, his voice a low growl, and Lucy could feel the pull again, this time coming from lower in her abdomen. Breathing heavily, she turned to face Gray, his eyes intense in the darkness.

"I let several opportunities pass me by, Lucy," he said. "And the next thing I knew, that stupid flamehead snatched you away, just like that. I am not going to miss another chance." Lucy's breath caught in her throat at his words. Forcefully, yet gently, he pushed her down onto his bed, his body now hovering over hers, their skin barely touching as his arms supported the majority of his weight.

Lucy could feel her heartbeat accelerating, her heart pounding sickeningly quick against her chest. His eyes locked with hers, his eyes full of resolve and intent, sincerity and hope. His lips crushed down against hers, forcing a powerful shock from her heart as it somersaulted unexpectedly yet again. His right hand lingered at her cheek, while his left hand moved down to her waist and tugged at what was left of her shirt, pulling it up and over her head, momentarily breaking the kiss. Lucy found herself wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him in closer, breathing in his scent.

But she didn't understand. Why wasn't she stopping him? She had never even gone this far with Natsu before. She gasped as Gray ran his fingers along her stomach, her side, up her back, then rested them against her bra clasp for a moment before unhooking her bra in one swift movement.

She felt like she had to stop him. She had to. What about Natsu? But she was drowning in the sensation of his touch, the electricity that shocked her everywhere his skin came into contact with hers, and their kisses became more frenzied, hungrier. She couldn't handle it. The heat of his body mixed with the icy sensation of his fingertips. She'd never felt like this before.

But she couldn't comprehend what she was feeling. And as their lips moved together, their bodies basked in the pale moonlight, Lucy could feel the fire within her heart slowly begin to fade, as something much colder, yet warm all the same, began to take its place.

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><p>Sorry, I know, this chapter is a bit short compared to the last few. But I will try to make the next ones a bit longer xD It took me quite a while just to write this one scene…<p>

Anyway, what will happen next? Is Lucy starting to fall for Gray? We'll have to find out next chapter once things have cooled off a bit ;-)

Thanks for reading and please review!


	7. Chapter 7: The Morning After

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail or any of the characters. Just the plot of this story :P

Hi everyone! Thanks to those of you who reviewed as always :) Sorry the previous chapter was so short. It can be hard for me to write that kind of stuff sometimes haha xD

Also, we should be seeing Natsu again soon so don't worry. Mysteries will be revealed eventually, once I figure out how that will happen…So far we know he is possessed or being controlled by something or someone, but we aren't sure what yet. Plus, I'm not even sure who Lucy will end up with in the end, though I do kinda have an idea. She is being a tad fickle, and in my mind I imagine she has feelings for both of them. She just doesn't realize her feelings for Gray yet.

Unfortunately, I got called into work today, so I only have time to write one chapter before I go to bed tonight :( Tomorrow, maybe :P Anyway, time to keep going. On with chapter 7!

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><p>Lucy opened her eyes at the feel of sunlight against her face. She blinked a few times, then stretched her body from head to toe, stopping suddenly at the sharp pain in her left leg, and remembering what had happened with Natsu the day before. She sat up slowly, placing her head in her hands. "Oh, Natsu," she whispered solemnly. Then, raising her face from her hands slowly, her eyes widened in confusion as she took in her surroundings.<p>

She found herself in an unfamiliar bed in a small, minimally furnished apartment, her heart rate increasing as she began to remember where she was. She looked down at her own body, and realized she was wearing a baggy blue t-shirt—a man's t-shirt—and nothing else. Her left thigh was neatly bandaged, a small amount of blood tinting some areas of the white bandages red. She looked to her side, expecting to find someone in bed next to her, but was surprised to find that no one was there.

"What the hell happened last night?" she whispered, panic setting in. Her hands flew up to her head, grabbing fistfuls of tangled blonde hair. "What did I do?" A slight tinge of pink appeared on her cheeks. "I have to get out of here."

She stood up frantically and took a step in the direction of the door, her foot catching on something hard, sending her plummeting towards the floor. She landed with a loud thud. "Ouch," she groaned, raising herself with her arms and looking backward over her shoulder at the instigator of her fall.

Her brown eyes widened. Gray was lying on the floor next to the bed, still fast asleep, wearing nothing but his boxers. Lucy's cheeks grew even redder as she took in the sight of his well-toned, nearly naked body. She crawled closer to him, examining the contours of his muscled chest, abs, and gorgeous arms. She watched as his chest rose and fell with every breath, the pendant of his necklace, skewed slightly towards his left pectoral. Then her eyes traveled up to his face, his disheveled black hair, the small scar on his forehead, his strong cheekbones and jawline. Her eyes lingered at his parted lips, and she raised her fingers to her own lips, her entire face turning red as realization set in. "What did we do last night?" she shouted frantically.

Gray's eyes blinked open at the sound of her voice (surprisingly he didn't wake up from her tripping over him xD), and he sat up, face to face with Lucy, his eyes gazing at her sleepily. "Geez, Lucy. Do you have to make so much noise this early in the morning?" he mumbled.

"Gr-Gray," Lucy stuttered, "How far did we go last night…?" Her eyes were wide and panicked, her cheeks frosted with pink, which Gray thought made her look awfully cute.

"How far do you think we went?" Gray smirked playfully, his dark eyes twinkling.

"We didn't…" Lucy trailed off, her hands on either side of her face, and her cheeks still burning.

Gray chuckled, his eyes dropping to floor for a moment before looking back up at Lucy. "To be perfectly honest," he said, placing one hand behind his neck, "you started crying right before we were about to…well, you know."

Lucy's hands dropped from her face, and she looked Gray straight in the eyes, the blush fading from her cheeks.

"I asked you if you were okay," Gray continued, "and you said that you were fine, but I just…I didn't believe you, I guess." He smiled sadly. "I didn't want to hurt you more than you already were hurt so…I'm sorry I forced myself on you like that, Lucy." He grabbed one of her hands and smiled at her sincerely. "Please forgive me."

Lucy began to blush again and quickly broke his gaze. "It…It's okay," she said. She rose to her feet, clasping her hands together at her chest, and turned away from him. "I should go," she stated.

"Still thinking about that idiot, huh?" A painful smirk flickered on Gray's lips, his eyes drifting to the wall. "I still don't think it's safe for you to go back there, Lucy," he admitted.

Lucy turned to face him. He was still sitting on the floor, leaning against the bed, one leg bent up with his forearm propped against his knee. "Thanks, Gray," she whispered, "but I think I can handle myself."

Gray directed his gaze back towards her. "Maybe I should put this differently," he said. "I don't think you really want to go anywhere looking like that." Lucy looked down at her attire. "No offense," he continued. "I personally think you look cute."

Lucy blushed for the hundredth time, then stared at Gray sternly. "Then what am I supposed to do?" she asked, irritated.

Gray tilted his head towards the bathroom. "Go get yourself cleaned up first. I'll go back to your apartment quickly to get you some clothes. At the same time, I'll check to see if it's safe for you to go back."

Lucy sighed and nodded. There was no point in trying to reason with him, plus, she did look like a mess. She walked to the bathroom then closed the door behind her as Gray threw on a pair of jeans and a navy polo shirt from his pile of clothes. He walked to the front door and stood there for a moment, deciding not to leave until he heard the sound of the shower starting. As he closed the door behind him, he created a key using his ice magic, and locked the door from the outside. He didn't want to let her leave on her own, and he sure as hell didn't want anyone entering while he was gone. He turned back around then ran down the stairs, out of the building, and towards Lucy's apartment.

...

Gray was breathing heavily as he approached the door to Lucy's apartment. Like before, he generated a key from ice, and turned it in the lock, opening the door at the sound of a click. He entered slowly, cautiously, looking around the apartment and taking in the aftermath of the previous day's scene. Glass from the coffee table and a mirror were strewn about the floor, and a few books had been thrown off the shelves, but the fire mage was nowhere to be seen. The book Lucy bought the day before was sprawled on the ground, several pages ripped from its bindings.

"Looks like he isn't here," Gray whispered, making his way towards Lucy's bedroom. As soon as he entered the room, he went straight to her dresser, quickly grabbing the first things he saw, a gray t-shirt and a pair of jean shorts. "I can't hang around here too long," he said. "I need to get back to Lucy and make sure she's okay." He turned back around and was startled to find Natsu standing in the doorway.

"I knew you'd come back here," the dragon slayer smirked. He approached Gray slowly, stopping a couple feet short of him. "You're gonna pay for that stunt you pulled yesterday," he growled, pointing at a darkening ring around his left eye.

"You deserved it," Gray said under his breath, his muscles tensing.

Natsu frowned. "You know, I really don't have the time to deal with you. Just tell me where the girl is. Where did you take her?"

"Like hell I'd tell you!" Gray spat.

Natsu grabbed Gray by his collar, his eyes wide with rage. "Tell. Me."

Gray dropped Lucy's clothes and wrenched himself out of Natsu's grasp. "You tell me who the fuck you are, and what you've done with Natsu!" he shouted, raising his arms to fight.

Natsu laughed. "I see. So that's how you want to play." A serpentine smile settled on his lips, his eyes bright with manic laughter. At his sides, his fists erupted in flames, and his eyes settled on his target. "I'll tell you who I am. Right before I kill you!"

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><p>Ahh sorry about the cliffhanger, but it's 1 am now and I'm very tired. But Gray and Natsu are gonna duke it out! And what about Lucy, who's locked in Gray's apartment xD<p>

Next chapter we should find out what's going with Natsu/who is controlling him!

Thanks for taking the time to read and please review! :)


	8. Chapter 8: Dragon Spirit

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail or any of the characters.

Hi everyone! Thank you to those of you who have taken the time to review! Sorry it has taken me several days to update. I got a little stuck on what to write next, and I had to write an essay to apply for an engineering department at my uni which I had been putting off for weeks -_- But that is done with now thank goodness…

I have also been doing a bit of homework for this chapter, as in rereading and watching fights that Gray and Natsu have had. I don't want to get any of their signature moves horribly wrong xD

Really, I hope this chapter doesn't turn out super lame. It can be really difficult for me to write fight scenes, but then of course I go and set myself up for one haha. The fight will look really cool in my head, but it can be hard to relay all of that back to the reader, you know?

On a random note, I work as a stocker in a grocery store, and today I spent most of my time in the freezer and stocking lots of ice and ice cream…needless to say, I definitely thought of Gray lol

Oh, and I read the latest chapter of the manga too (did anyone else?) and it's not that it was a _bad_ chapter or anything, but it was just a disappointing fight I think because I was expecting something really awesome after how badass Gray was in the previous chapter…

Lastly, I've been getting really into Soul Eater lately…thus another reason why I think it's been taking me so long to update -_-

Well alright…here we go…just please bear with me xD

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><p>Gray held his arms up, ready to fight, clenching his fists tightly until his knuckles were white. He glared at the pink-haired mage before him, his eyes dark. "Who the hell are you, really?"<p>

Natsu laughed. "I see. So that's how you want to play." A serpentine smile settled on his lips, his eyes bright with manic laughter. At his sides, his fists erupted in flames, and his eyes settled on his target. "I'll tell you who I am. Right before I kill you!" He ran at Gray, pulling back his right fist.

"_Karyū no Tekken_!" he shouted, hitting Gray square in the stomach.

Gray's breath escaped his lungs as he was propelled backwards through Lucy's bedroom window, shards of glass scattering everywhere. He hit the ground hard, rolling backwards a few times until he caught himself, landing on his feet in a crouched position, his hands on other side touching the ground. Natsu jumped out the window after him, landing several feet in front of him.

Gray caught his breath. "How the hell did you know how to use that move?" Gray spat, a trickle of blood staining the corner of his lips. He slowly rose to his feet, raising his arms once more in preparation.

"It's simple, really," the fire mage responded, taking a step towards Gray. "I'm not just controlling this boy's body; I'm rooted within his mind. I can see everything he's thinking, and I can feel him trying to resist me to no avail. I know everything about him, you, that girl, and everyone else through his own eyes. I even saw his frustration as he watched you take the girl away, and when I was forcing him to hurt her. Your little friend Natsu is still very much here, Gray. It's just that I'm the one that's in control." A dark chuckle escaped his lips.

"Well I'm gonna knock you out of his head!" Gray cried, starting for his enemy.

"Just know that whatever you do, you won't even be hurting 'me'," Natsu said with a devilish smile, "you'll just be hurting your friend here." He motioned at his body—Natsu's body—with his hands.

Gray paused at his words. His eyes widened and his breath caught in his throat. "You…" He lowered his eyes to the ground, gritting his teeth, his bangs hiding his eyes. "How dare you do this to my nakama? You _will_ pay…" His gaze lifted, piercing the man standing before him. "I'll see to it personally." He started at him again, his right fist pulled back.

Natsu scoffed. "Stupid." He dodged his head to the left, then took a swing at Gray's face. His eyes widened when his fist did not make contact, as Gray ducked quickly, then rose back up, landing an uppercut on Natsu's chin, and forcing him to stumble back a few feet.

Gray smirked. "What you don't know is how much I've wanted to beat this idiot for so long now." Natsu stroked his now bruised jaw bone and stared wide-eyed at Gray. "Besides," Gray continued, "you said that you're in tune with Natsu's thoughts and feelings right now, so that means you can at least feel the pain his body is experiencing."

Natsu scowled at the black-haired mage. "You're a lot smarter than I thought," he said, "and yet still so stupid. Most people would hesitate to fight for fear of hurting their comrade. You on the other hand…"

"Unfortunately, I'm not that typical kind of person," Gray said, his face serious. "I know Natsu's in there somewhere, and I'm gonna bring him back!" He widened his stance, his arms out in front of him, left hand palm up and right fist in his palm. "Ice Make: Lance!" he shouted, as icy lances sprung and curved towards Natsu, who jumped backwards right before they hit the ground at his feet. Then right as he landed back on the cobblestone ground, Gray attacked again. "Ice Make: Geyser!" he said, slamming his hands on the ground. A tower of spiked ice crawled quickly towards Natsu.

"Dammit," Natsu said under his breath, throwing up his arms in defense as he was impaled by the spikes of ice. He slid backwards several feet from the force of the impact. "Stupid boy," he said, his hands erupting into flames again.

"Ice Make: Sword!" A sword made of ice formed in Gray's hands. He clutched the hilt tightly. "Just tell me who the hell you are already!" He demanded, charging at his opponent. He swung at Natsu, who surprisingly blocked Gray's attack with his forearms, though his arms were now engulfed in flames. Gray brought the sword back again, preparing for another swing.

Quickly, Natsu jumped backwards as Gray swung the blade once more. "_Karyū no Hōkō_!" cried the fire mage as he lifted his fists to his mouth and blew a large stream of fire through them, hitting the ice mage dead on.

A cry of pain exploded from Gray's lungs as Natsu's flames engulfed him. He threw his arms forward, crossing them in front of himself and shielding his face from the flames. He yelled as he pressed forward through the stream of fire, sparks of ice emitting from his body as he focused his magic power in Natsu's direction. A smirk played on his lips as the coiling flames around him began to freeze and turn to ice. "You call those Natsu's flames?" he asked, shooting the fire mage a cold stare.

Natsu glared at Gray. "I'm just going easy on you," he explained. Flames ignited beneath his feet as he jumped into the air towards Gray. "_Karyū no Kagitsume_!" he cried as he swung his leg around and struck Gray in the chest. Gray grunted as he hit the ground and slid towards the water, coming to a stop with his head dangling over the edge of the road. He glanced at the water just a few inches from his face and grimaced as he tried to lift himself up. He was stopped by Natsu, who grabbed him by his collar, bringing him eye to eye with him.

"I'll tell you who I am," Natsu smirked. "It doesn't really matter since I'm going to kill you anyway."

Neither of the mages noticed the blue cat with wings circling above them.

...

Happy watched the fight taking place below him. "This isn't good," he said to himself. "It looks like Natsu definitely isn't himself anymore, and at this rate, those two are going to completely destroy this part of town." He looked down at Lucy's apartment, then dove down and through the broken window, landing on Lucy's bed. "Lucy~," he called. He waited a moment but received no response. He jumped down from her bed then continued to towards the living room and kitchen. His brow creased with worry. "She's still not here. Maybe Gray took her to his place," he thought, then headed back to the window and took off, flying towards Gray's apartment, and hopefully towards Lucy.

...

"Dammit, Gray," Lucy muttered to herself. "He's been gone for so long now. Something must have happened to him. If only that idiot hadn't gone and locked me in here. And I don't have my keys with me." She sat huddled on Gray's bed with her arms wrapped around her knees. She was wearing her shorts from the previous day and one of Gray's t-shirts. Her hair was now nearly dry. "Stupid Gray," she muttered again, tears forming in her eyes. "Now I can't do anything at all. I'm completely useless."

"Lucyyyy!" called a familiar voice.

Lucy's head perked up at the sound of her name being called. "Is that…?" She ran over to the window and stared up at the sky. "Happy!" she cried, a smile forming on her face as she laid eyes on the blue cat. She quickly pushed open the window and stepped aside as Happy flew down and landed on Gray's bed. "Happy! Where have you been?"

"More like where have you been, Lucy?" the cat retorted. He looked at Lucy sternly.

"Are you serious?" Lucy shouted. "Gray locked me in this stupid apartment and I've been trying to figure out how to get out of here for the past hour and a half! I would have simply jumped out the window but the idiot lives on the fifth floor!"

"Are you sure you would have even fit through the window…?" Happy asked, his eyes becoming slits as he raised a paw to his mouth.

"Shut up, cat!" Lucy yelled through clenched teeth, stretching at Happy's cheeks. "This is no time to be making jokes! Tell me what's going on!" She sat down next to him on the bed.

Happy's eyes watered, and he rubbed at his face as soon as Lucy let him go. "Aye," he said. Then he looked at her seriously. "Lucy, yesterday when I returned to your apartment, I couldn't find you or Natsu. I did see that a lot of things were broken, though. I figured something bad must have happened so I went out looking for Natsu. When I still couldn't find him, I decided to go back to your apartment." His eyes dropped to the floor. "When I landed on the window sill, I saw him. He was sitting on the floor, looking through that book you'd brought back earlier. He had a really crazed look in his eyes, and it was obvious it wasn't him at that moment, but rather the guy who has been controlling him."

"Did he notice you, Happy?"

"No." Happy shook his head. "I was so afraid that I didn't say anything. I couldn't even move. And then he started furiously ripping pages out of the book, muttering something about a dragon spirit and…" He trailed off.

"What is it, Happy?" Lucy asked, concern in her eyes.

Happy's brow creased with worry as he looked at Lucy. "He mentioned Igneel," he said, his voice shaking.

"What?" Lucy's eyes widened. "You mean as in Natsu's Igneel?"

Happy nodded. "I think so." Then he seemed to remember something and stood up, waving his arms frantically. "Oh, but, Lucy I almost forgot! Natsu and Gray are fighting! They could destroy that whole half of town!"

"That part doesn't surprise me..." Lucy got up and walked back to the window. She stared outside for a moment, then turned back to the cat. "Can you help me get out of here, Happy? We have to go help them. And we have to save Natsu and find out what's really going on."

"Aye, sir!" Happy cried, jumping into the air.

...

"I'll tell you who I am, Gray," Natsu sneered, his fingers now wound tightly around Gray's neck. Gray struggled against Natsu's grip, one eye open as he winced in pain. An evil grin formed on Natsu's lips. "My name is Ryuu, as in the dragon spirit. I have no body of my own, but instead move from body to body by taking control of you weak humans."

"But what do you want with Natsu?" Gray choked, still struggling against his grip.

"I guess I can answer that too, since your time left is short..." His eyes turned dark. "I'm looking for Igneel."

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><p>And there you have it…This chapter really took a lot of thinking. I was having extreme writer's block. And I guess I ended up throwing more crazy stuff in there in the process haha xD<p>

And hopefully the little fight sequences I'm writing will improve by next chapter :-P

Well, in any case, thanks for reading and please review!


	9. Chapter 9: Lightning

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail or any of the characters (except maybe Ryuu since I made him up xD)

Hi all! Sorry it's taken a while to update but thanks for all the reviews thus far! I've been really busy and whatnot trying to get stuff sorted out and working two jobs, plus I have been having other ideas for fanfics too, which you guys may have seen :-P. But now I figured I ought to get back to what I first started ;-)

Also, sorry in advance if the writing does not live up to past chapters. I forced myself to write the majority of this chapter haha And oh yeah, the reason I chose Ryuu for the villain's name is because I simply googled "dragon names" and found that Ryuu is a Japanese name meaning "dragon spirit." So from there I got the idea that he could be like a bodiless dragon spirit who is able to inhabit human bodies at will. Sort of eerie xD

I swear I will eventually finish this story. Believe it or not, I have already figured out an ending. I just need to figure out more of the middle part now. But I don't think the story will be ending in the next couple of chapters. There is still some meat to the story I want to include. Just gotta figure out a way to implement the ideas.

**As a warning**, I may use Ryuu and Natsu's names freely and interchangeably. Sorry if it's confusing to you at all. It's confusing to me too if that helps at all . I guess when I say Ryuu, just always imagine that he has Natsu's body. Because Ryuu doesn't have his own body as far as we know, and is currently borrowing Natsu's.

Anyway, here we go. Hope you like it, and sorry for the long wait xD

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><p>The sun was still high in the sky as the blue cat glided through the air with outstretched wings. He carried a young girl by the sleeves of her shirt, and dipped down and back up in the air every once in a while as if he were unable to support the load. "Oi, Lucy, you're heavy," the cat whined.<p>

The blonde spirit mage's hair danced in the breeze as her eyes swept across the town. "Now is not the time for that, Happy." Her voice was clearly irritated, but she was too distracted by the situation to entertain their usual silly antics. "It looks like the city is still intact, which means they're probably still around my apartment. At least that will make them easier to find…Hopefully."

"I really hope Natsu is okay," Happy whimpered.

"Yeah. And Gray too," Lucy whispered.

...

"I'm looking for Igneel," sneered Ryuu as he willed the dragon slayer's fingers to wind tighter around the ice mage's neck.

Gray's eyes widened for a moment at the dragon spirit's words, then a look of determination flashed across his face as he struggled to raise his hands to his neck, and clasped his hands around his opponent's wrists. "I have no idea what the hell your intentions are," he choked, "but I will _never_ let you use Natsu to get what you want!" As he spoke, ice crawled up Ryuu's arms starting at his wrists. His eyes were lit briefly with shock as Gray glared up at him through dark, tousled hair. A furious yell escaped the ice mage's lips as he pushed a final spurt of magic in Ryuu's direction. The ice shattered, shards flying in every direction, forcing Ryuu to stumble back away from Gray, who rose slowly to his feet, his chest heaving with each heavy breath he took, his eyes settling on the ground.

"You never know when to stop, do you?" Ryuu snarled, his fists erupting into flames once more. "You don't seem to get that I don't need you. I will get rid of you. So just tell me where the girl is and then we can be done with this, you insolent brat." His eyes were dark, furious.

"No," Gray said simply. "I won't give up." He raised his gaze back to the enraged dragon slayer standing before him, but did not raise his fists up against his opponent.

"I'm getting really sick of you…" Ryuu ran at Gray, his fiery fist pulled back.

Gray clenched his fists at his sides. "Get ahold of yourself, Natsu!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. He inhaled sharply as he braced himself for impact, only to find the fire mage's fist stopped mere centimeters away from his face. He exhaled slowly, watching the mage before him carefully. His teammate. His friend.

Before him, Natsu appeared to be struggling within himself, his teeth clenched and his breathing uneven. He growled in exasperation as the flames extinguished themselves and his fist dropped to his side. "Gray…" he choked, a hint of shame coating his voice as his eyes lowered to the ground.

Gray's eyes widened. "Natsu?" he asked, unsure.

"Nice try, ice boy." Ryuu's fist burst back into flames and he swung at his opponent, connecting against Gray's face. Gray grunted as the force of the impact sent him backwards into the water. He sank towards the bottom, his mind starting to go blank. He blinked a few times, regaining his composure and carefully watching the ledge up above him for any sign of Natsu. His mind began swarming with ideas for a new strategy. Ryuu was undeniably strong. Even Natsu, as stubborn as he was, could only break through his control for a split second. So Gray would just have to try a new tactic. And he realized that at this time he held a more favorable position.

He continued to watch the ledge above him with wide eyes, searching for any sign of an opening. Hopefully his chance would come soon, before he couldn't hold his breath any longer. Suddenly, he spotted the foot of his target near the edge, and his eyes narrowed. He placed his right fist in his left hand, and quickly created a hook shot made of ice. The hook shot sprang to the surface and hooked around Natsu's foot, then dragged him into the water towards Gray, who swung a punch at his face the moment he was within reach. Upon feeling the satisfaction of his fist against Natsu's jaw, Gray quickly swam back up to the surface, gasping for air when he finally broke the surface. He watched from above for a moment, preparing himself for his next attack, as Natsu started for the surface.

"Ice Make: Geyser!" Gray shouted, a large spike rising from the water and capturing Natsu within it in the process. The waves resulting from the sudden ice creation caused a nearby boat of unknowing passersby to sway and rock until one man fell overboard. Gray was distracted by this for a moment, taking his eyes away from the one he should have been watching. When he turned back around, he found the ice was cracking, and a furious scowl had replaced the smug look on Natsu's face from earlier. Sparks of electricity and lightning began to emit from the ice around Natsu, until the ice around him fell completely.

"L-lightning?" Gray stammered, shocked.

"You're so predictable," hissed Ryuu. He held a hand above him, sparking and crackling with electric lightning.

Gray's eyes widened as his attention flitted back towards the man who had fallen into the water. "Don't do it!" he shouted to no avail.

Ryuu struck his hand into the water, and Gray's breath caught somewhere in his throat as an unbearable pain struck him, flowing electric through his veins as the lightning from Ryuu's palm traveled sickeningly quickly through the water. Gray's body quivered and shook, and he screamed in agony. When Ryuu finally drew his hand from the water, Gray fell forward, face first into the water, his body littered with scorch marks and nearly lifeless. Cries came from behind him as the men in the boat tried to remove their friend's still body from the water.

"You were smart to think you could beat me in the water," Ryuu muttered, "but a complete idiot to think I would only be able to use Natsu's magic. I am a dragon spirit. I have my own magic. And it's a good thing that water is such a good conductor of electricity." He smirked as he climbed from the water. He stood there at the edge for a moment, watching Gray's still body bobbing up and down in the water. "What a pity," he said, as he nudged Gray's body with his foot, turning him over so that he was floating on his back instead. His eyes remained closed.

"Gray!" came a shriek from behind.

Ryuu turned to find the girl he had been searching for in the past twenty-four hours. "So you finally decided to come back, did you?"

Lucy's hands flew to her mouth and her eyes were wide with shock as she stared first at Gray's body floating in the water, then at the innocent man's body which was now back in the boat. Tears began to pool in her eyes and she could feel a warm, furious intensity settling in her core. There was a throbbing ache in her chest as she looked into the eyes of the man standing before her, searching for Natsu, but finding only this evil spirit instead. "You monster!" she spat, throwing her arm out in front of her. "Who the hell are you?"

Ryuu chuckled softly to himself. "Poor girl. You certainly know more than you're letting on, don't you?" His eyes turned cold. "Where did you hide it?"

Lucy cowered for a moment, her hands drifting to the keys hanging from her belt. She was glad she was able to retrieve them from her apartment before coming after them.

Ryuu raised an eyebrow. "Do you really intend on fighting me as well?" He took a step towards her, and Lucy took a step back in response. "Just tell me where you've hidden it and I'll let your boyfriend live." He stared at her carefully. "Both of them."

Lucy froze at his words.

He smirked. "Ha. So I was right after all." He seemed amused now. "You really can't decide, can you?"

"I-I don't have to talk to you about this," Lucy stammered. Her fingers wrapped around a specific key at her side.

"I wonder how Natsu feels about this," Ryuu continued. It was obvious he was trying to toy with her emotions. Distract her. After a slight pause as if he was looking within himself, Ryuu laughed. "He definitely isn't happy."

"Stop it!" Lucy shouted, thrusting one of her keys in front of her. "Open gate of the lion! Leo!" she cried. A brilliant flash of light formed before her, and as it dissipated, a boy with spiky orange hair wearing a suit remained standing before her.

"It's about time you called me, Lucy," Loke said, slightly uneasy. "If you'd waited any longer I would have had to come save you myself. And then it might have been too late."

"Loke, please! You have to help! Natsu is—"

"I know," Loke interrupted. "I've been watching. I always watch over you, Lucy." He smiled at her, then his face turned serious again. "Just hurry and take Gray back to the guild. His condition isn't very good. You can leave this guy to me."

Lucy nodded.

"Another interruption?" Ryuu growled, placing his fingers against his temple. He glared at Loke. "I'll cut you down just like I did this stupid ice boy."

"I'm sure Gray would have won in a fair fight," Loke snarled, raising his fists.

"Happy, help me get Gray back!" Lucy pleaded the cat. Happy nodded and retrieved Gray from the water, then carried him off towards the guild with Lucy running behind them. "Please be careful, Loke," she said under her breath.

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><p><strong>AN:**

So this chapter turned out to be more fight heavy than I expected. I was having difficulty deciding if I wanted Lucy to summon Loke or if I wanted Erza to show up. Guess I picked Loke xD

Next chapter they Lucy and Happy will bring a beat up Gray back to the guild, and we'll get to see their guild mate's reactions to what is going on with Natsu. Also, what exactly was Ryuu looking for, and will they find a way to get him out of Natsu's body?

Thanks for reading and please review! I promise the next chapter will answer a lot more questions and maybe have a nice moment ;-) And hopefully be longer. And maybe be better overall xD But please be nice, it's almost 2 am and I'm tired -_-


	10. Chapter 10: Lucy's Resolve

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail or any of the characters.

Hey everyone! We've finally made it to chapter 10! So exciting xD Anyway, I really want to say thank you to everyone for all of the reviews. Hearing that you guys actually like my story really motivates me as a writer to keep going and I hope I won't disappoint as the story continues!

Oh yeah, and I was starting to wonder if I ever had Gray take off his shirt yet, but I just couldn't remember, but I have been imagining him without a shirt for the past couple of chapters while he was fighting, and I imagine most of you are too xD

Also, I have been having horrid writer's block and have been working on this chapter for what feels like ages. Sorry for the delay!

So without further ado, here is chapter 10! ^_^ Hope you enjoy!

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><p>As the guild doors swung open, the doorway was momentarily filled with bright light from outside. The silhouettes of three individuals were outlined in the bright light, and as the large double doors closed behind them, their forms became more visible. Many guild members gasped in shock at the sight of a severely wounded Gray, one arm slumped over Lucy's shoulders and the other arm held up in the air by Happy in an attempt to keep him upright. His chest and arms were covered in burns and gashes, some of them still bleeding. He simply dangled there, his body still and limp aside from the slight raise of his chest with each shallow breath he subconsciously managed.<p>

"Lucy! Happy! What happened?" Mira cried as she ran from her position at the bar over to her guild mates. Her eyes swept over the horrifying condition of Gray's body.

Tears welled in Lucy's eyes as she dropped her gaze towards the floor. Her hand drifted up to her shoulder where Gray's arm was draped, and she squeezed his forearm tightly. "N-Natsu," she stammered, a tear rolling down her cheek, then falling from her chin. The entire guild was silent as the single tear hit the floor.

Mira's eyebrows furrowed. "You mean he did this to Gray?"

The guild rose back into a cacophony of chattering and discussion, throwing phrases like "love triangle," and "jealousy" back and forth amongst themselves. In the midst of the commotion, Juvia was bawling, maddened by the fact that her rival in love had won Gray's affection. Lucy's fist clenched at her side and her grip on Gray's arm tightened. Her body shuddered a few times as she willed more tears not to come. Happy released his grip on Gray's arm and drifted down to the floor, where he hid his face in his paws.

Mira watched the state of her friends, her brow now creased with worry. Quickly, she turned to face the rest of the guild. "Stop it! All of you!" she shouted. A shocked silence washed over the members and they all turned to face the silver-haired mage. "You're all just speculating," Mira continued. "They haven't even told us what's going on and already you all jump to conclusions. Can't you see they're hurt and you're only hurting them more?" Her lower lip quivered as she finished her last sentence. "Right now, what happened doesn't matter. Gray obviously needs medical attention so that should be the first thing on our minds."

"You're right, Mira-nee," piped Elfman from a few tables back. "If you are a man, you should show concern for your friends and help them during a time like this. A man is a man! (**A/N**: I just had to make him say that xD)" He walked over to where they were standing at the front of the guild and took Gray from Lucy, placing him over his shoulder. A sense of loss and emptiness washed over Lucy as she watched Elfman carry Gray towards the backroom. She stared at her now empty hands, wondering if it would be right to follow after them.

Mira sensed Lucy's hesitation and grabbed her hand, dragging her towards the backroom as well. "First we will tend to Gray and make sure he's alright. We'll worry about the rest when he's stable. Wendy, would you mind coming to help?"

"S-sure," the blue-haired girl chimed. "I'll do my best." She got up from her seat and followed after Mirajane as Charle approached Happy.

"Are you okay…Happy?" Charle asked respectfully, placing a paw on his shoulder.

"Aye," the blue cat lied.

Lucy forced a weak smile as she trailed after the kind mage. Makarov was waiting by the door. "Lucy. Let us know what is going on once Gray has been taken care of. Remember that we are all here to help you," he said calmly. Lucy nodded as she followed Mira and Wendy into the backroom, and closed the door behind her.

In the backroom, Mira retrieved a rolled up mat from one of the corners then spread it out on the floor in the middle of the room. Elfman shoved aside a nearby table with one hand, then laid Gray down on the mat. Lucy remained by the door, her hands clasped in front of her and her eyes glued to the floor.

Mirajane watched the blonde-haired girl for a moment before speaking. "We're going to need your help, Lucy," she said softly. "The medical supplies are in that container up there." She pointed to the shelf behind her.

Lucy nodded bleakly and made her way towards the shelf. She grabbed the supplies and set them down on the floor next to Mira, who was now kneeling next to Gray. Lucy kept her eyes focused on the wall before her, never once looking at the injured ice mage. She couldn't bear it. It tore her apart to see him like this. Because of her. She clutched her chest as a sharp pain settled there for a moment, a stinging pull eliciting from her heart as she continued to blame herself for everything that had happened.

Elfman began walking back towards the door. "I am going to go back out to join the others. I'll leave the rest to you." He nodded towards them, then opened the door, a large amount of chatter pouring into the room for a second before dying out completely as he shut the door behind him.

"I'm sure it's not your fault, Lucy," Mira said knowingly as they watched Wendy treat Gray's wounds with her sky dragon slayer magic.

Lucy's tearing eyes widened at her words. She stared at the silver-haired mage expectantly.

"Gray really cares about you. I gather you know that much by now. He just wanted to protect you," Mira continued. "He found you hurt. And he wanted to help you. Protect you. There was no way you could alter what has happened here today." She glanced up at Lucy for a second and forced a quick smile before returning her eyes to Gray. "At least, that is what I imagine has happened from the looks of things. Even if you haven't told me the whole story. From the way you are hurting, and how badly hurt Gray is now, it's obvious he was just trying to protect you. From what, I don't know, but don't think that wound on your leg has gone unnoticed."

Lucy's eyes dropped to the floor again.

Wendy finished treating the wounds and burns and by now appeared exhausted. She stood up slowly and turned to face Lucy. "I'm sure that Gray will be okay, Lucy-san," she smiled weakly. "I'm not sure why you're so sad. I think he would want you to be happy." Her eyes shimmered with kindness. She turned to Mira. "I'm a bit tired now, Mira-san, so I'll leave the bandaging to you."

Mirajane nodded and the air dragonslayer left the room. She then turned to the box of medical supplies, and searched through it for a moment until she found a round, tin container. She removed the lid then dipped a few fingers into the salve and began applying it to the burns on Gray's right arm. "Could you help me, Lucy? There are quite a few burns on his chest, and this will help when we bandage him." She thrust the tin in Lucy's direction.

Lucy blushed as she took the salve. She settled down by Gray's left side and scooped up some of the salve before setting the tin down next to her. She leaned forward slightly to begin applying the medicine, then stopped suddenly, her fingers hovering just a couple inches above his chest. Her cheeks turned a deep red as she stared at his chest for a moment, then at her own hand. What she was about to do became more prominent in her mind and she swallowed hard as she prepared herself to connect her fingertips with the feel of his cool skin, still blushing madly.

"Lucy, stop being a pervert and just apply the medicine already," Mira scolded, interrupting the spirit mage's thoughts.

Lucy stared at her wide-eyed, her cheeks now even redder if that was possible.

"I mean, it's not like you've never touched his bare chest before," she suggested.

"M-Mira!" Lucy stammered, her tone disapproving.

Mira found herself giggling slightly although the situation was serious. "Well after that little display there, it's pretty obvious to me that something happened between you two. I had my suspicions, but you just confirmed them. After all, you'd never seen him as anything more than a friend and a teammate before. Right?" She stared at Lucy, waiting for an answer.

"I…" Lucy broke away from Mira's gaze and began applying the salve to Gray's chest, a faint blush still staining her cheeks. She remained focused, trying to avoid the conversation.

"I see," Mira said. Switching sides so that she was now next to Lucy, she began to apply the ointment to Gray's other arm. "I can't say I'm proud of him for interfering with your relationship with Natsu," she continued, "but I'm really glad he was finally able to show you his feelings. That he was able to lift that thin veil that had been hiding them for so long."

Lucy finished applying the salve and turned to face Mira, her eyes curious.

"To everyone else, his feelings for you were always so obvious," Mira explained. "But that veil always concealed his feelings from you. And I don't mean the veil before his heart, his feelings, but the veil that covered your eyes from seeing how he feels. You were always so oblivious because of how you felt about Natsu." She retrieved some bandages from the supplies and began to wrap Gray's wounds. "But you know now. And the rest is up to you."

Lucy sat in shocked silence for a moment, her feet and legs tucked beneath her and her hands clenched into fists on her knees. Mirajane's words made so much sense. Too much sense. She felt foolish for never realizing how Gray felt. Even after he had confessed to her, even after she had given into the intense pull of his feelings that night, she had never truly realized the meaning of his words, of how he felt, until Mira had explained the whole situation. No. She had always been blinded by her knight with summery pink hair. The one who brought her to where she wanted to be, and helped her start a new life.

She stared softly at Gray now, her eyes sad and apologetic. She could never begin to imagine the pain and disappointment he felt every moment he spent with her. The struggle of his conflicting emotions, wanting nothing more than to be around her, but knowing he couldn't be _with_ her. Without knowing it, she had made her feelings for a certain fire mage apparent to everyone, including Gray. Yet somehow, he always managed to act cool, casual around her when they went on missions with the whole team. And he would always do anything to protect her. Little did she know, he had been slowly breaking this entire time.

Mira finished wrapping Gray's bandages then stood up. "Just let us know what is going on when you're ready to. We're here to help you, Lucy. We're your nakama."

"Mira…" Lucy whispered, tears overflowing from her eyes. Her lower lip quivered as she brushed the tears away with the back of her hand. "Yeah." She nodded.

Mira smiled. "I'm going to go see how Happy is doing. Come find me if Gray wakes up," she before leaving the room.

Lucy watched as Mira closed the door behind her, then dropped her eyes back to Gray. He seemed so helpless as he slept, his brow crease slightly as if he worried even in his sleep. His lips were parted slightly as soft, stabilizing breaths left them.

"I'm so sorry, Gray," Lucy said finally, even though she knew he probably couldn't hear her. "Not just for you getting hurt for my sake, but also for never realizing how you feel. For never even giving you a chance." Her voice became a whisper as the last few words left her lips. She immediately regretted saying those last words. They felt so permanent, as if she never would give him a chance at all. But she wasn't entirely sure if she would. There was still Natsu to think about.

She exhaled slowly, her breath shaky. She reflected back on what Mirajane had said, particularly how she had said it was up to Lucy now. The blonde mage swallowed hard. It was up to her whether or not her relationship with Gray would progress and transform, or if they would merely be stuck at a standstill, never really being able to go back to how things were before she knew how he felt. How did she even feel herself?

She searched within herself, unable to decide as she found her judgment clouded by the intense feeling of guilt she had. Everything about him. She couldn't look at him now without feeling that familiar guilty pull. And she couldn't allow herself to pick Gray just because she felt sorry for him. Because she still loved Natsu, still worried about him this very second. But did she love Gray too?

Maybe she did. Otherwise, why would she continue to question herself? Why would she be so concerned about how she felt? Her hands flew up to her hair in frustration, grabbing fistfuls of hair. "I can't…" she said suddenly, quietly. Her eyes were brimming with tears as she shook her head. "Natsu. I have to go to him." Then she felt suddenly scared, uncertain of what would happen if she went looking for him. He wasn't himself, he was being controlled. And it was highly likely he would only hurt her again.

"But I have to help him," she said to herself. "I have to be brave for him." She felt she couldn't just sit here helplessly, concerning herself with feelings for another man, when the one she was certain she loved needed her help.

She sensed that Loke had not returned to the spirit realm yet. He was either still fighting, or in trouble as well. "I can't depend on my spirits to do everything for me. I have to help too," she whispered as she stood up and turned to leave, trying to disregard the fear consuming her as she made her decision. She took a small step forward and her eyes widened as she felt a small tug at her arm, keeping her from leaving the room. She turned to see Gray, now conscious, his fingers wrapped loosely around her wrist.

"Lucy, stay. Please," he muttered weakly, his eyes half-lidded.

Her eyes drifted down to where his hand wrapped around her wrist. She could easily break his weak grip if she wanted to. But somewhere inside her, she was conflicted. Her heart was splitting into two pieces, each halve threatening to consume the other. Like fire and ice. "Okay," she whispered dejectedly, thinking that perhaps she agreed only because right now this was the easiest choice. She sat back down beside him, his fingers still wound around her wrist. She smiled sadly as the fire within her grew furious at her decision, and she slid her hand down to meet Gray's, intertwining her fingers with his.

Gray watched her carefully, and it was obvious to Lucy that he didn't want her to get hurt again. He smiled weakly, glad that she had decided to stay with him, and Lucy managed to smile back. "Thank you…Lucy," Gray whispered. Lucy nodded and only felt guiltier as she waited for him to fall back asleep, the fire within her growing stronger.

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><p><strong>AN:** As you can see, not much action in the chapter :/ Sorry about that. It's more that Lucy is trying to figure out how she feels. As far as we know now, she does love Natsu, she always has. But now she's confused about Gray too xD

I'm not too horrificly proud of this chapter since it was difficult for me to even write. And I hope it's not too disappointing or anything since it's been a while since I last updated!

Please review and thanks for reading! ^_^


	11. Chapter 11: Just Let Her Go

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fairy Tail or any of the characters, but the ideas I use are my own.

Hello everyone! So here we are at chapter 11! Thank you so much for the reviews as always :) I really appreciate the thoughtful feedback, and I am so happy to see people adding the story to their favorites lists—I'm glad you all like it!

Sorry for the massive delay in updating—school has started up again! Back in college now…And the other day I realized that the Fairy Tail manga has been going on for five years now!...time goes by so quickly…

Anyway, if you're in the mood for something more humorous and which is strictly GraLu, be sure to check out my oneshot "Go Back to Bed, Son!" if you haven't already!

Alright! Now that I'm all "fired up," on with the story! ^_^

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><p><em>I can't move my body.<em>

His eyes flitted open to solid darkness in every direction.

_Everything feels so heavy._

He forced his arm to reach towards something solid, his fingers merely grasping at thin air. He was suspended in nothingness, his memories fragmented and scattered in the forefront of his mind. He breathed slowly, the impenetrable darkness impairing his thoughts.

_I feel like I'm fading…_

He could feel himself drifting further away, unable to find the familiar warmth from within his body, the fiery core that was his soul, his heart, his magic.

"I really don't have any time for you, you pesky spirit!"

The angry voice shocked him out of his stupor, a voice that sounded like his, but was not his at all.

"I'm really quite impressed that you've managed to hold me back for this long, but now you're just irritating me. It's obvious you can barely go on any longer. I mean, all this just to protect that stupid girl? Why don't you just go back to the spirit realm already?"

As the words echoed throughout the darkness, an extreme hatred began creeping through his veins. His breathing quickened as he tried to shake the feeling in a panic.

_Who is he talking to? What girl…?_

"Give Natsu back to us," said another voice, adamant, yet tired.

_Natsu…Is that…me?_

"Idiot. I've already told you. His body is mine now. I need him in order to accomplish my goal, and I will not let you fools stop me. Especially not that insolent blonde girl."

"I won't let you hurt Lucy. We will all do everything in our power to protect her, and to get Natsu back! I know he's in there somewhere."

_Lucy…?_

He groaned as a splitting pain erupted in his temples, and his memories rearranged themselves. A glint of shimmering blonde hair. The soft but sweet smell of lavender and vanilla. Two deep, chocolate brown eyes, weighted with worry.

_Lucy…? Lucy!_

A furious roar erupted from his lungs and echoed throughout the darkness.

...

Loke smirked as Natsu's yell rang through the air. "I knew you were still there, Natsu." He held his left hand against a limp right arm, and was breathing heavily.

Shock fell upon Ryuu's face once the yell finally stopped, and he regained control of Natsu's body. "Huh," he chuckled darkly. "You'd been quiet for so long that I'd almost forgotten you were still there." He looked back up at Loke, a serpentine smile playing on his lips. "I guess play time's over." Lightning crackled around his hands and forearms as he crept closer towards the weakened Loke.

"Dammit," the lion spirit muttered under his breath.

...

"Natsu?"

Lucy jolted awake suddenly, her eyes wide and her chest heaving with every sharp breath she took. She placed her left hand against her heart and steadied her breathing as she glanced around the room. Shelves full of potions and other magic supplies lined the walls of a room with a mostly open center. She was still in the storeroom at the guild. Which meant Natsu was still out there somewhere, possessed by the dragon spirit Ryuu.

She placed her left hand against her heart for a moment and closed her eyes as if searching for something. She opened her eyes with a tired sigh. "And Loke is still out there somewhere, fighting by himself. I can't feel him in the spirit world." She winced a bit as she grew more and more irritated with herself. She was a horrible mage, allowing her spirits to fight alone just for her sake. This wasn't the sort of person she had hoped to be.

She looked down to her right side to find Gray still sound asleep, his hand still entwined with hers. He lay motionless at her side, deep in sleep, his breathing now slow and steady. _That's a good sign_, Lucy thought, _That means he's getting better._ But a dull ache continued in her chest. This hand. This was not the hand she wanted to hold right now. Was it? Lucy shook her head, unable to shake the confusion settled in her mind. But maybe that was the problem. She had been thinking so much about the situation, she wasn't listening to her heart.

She looked back down at Gray and sighed. As she watched him sleep, her promise to Natsu echoed in her head. "We'll get through this together," she had told him with a smile.

"Together," Lucy whispered, and her eyes grew sadder the longer she watched the dark-haired mage. She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly, then gently untangled her fingers from his. "I'm so sorry, Gray," she said, "but I made a promise to Natsu that I intend to keep." She smiled sadly. "After all, what is my worth as a mage if I can't even keep a promise?" She stared at her lap, her fingers clenching at the fabric of her shorts. "I can't even work together with my spirits…"

Gray mumbled softly in his sleep, his brow creasing. A sharp breath left Lucy's lips. She knew he disagreed with her decision even as he slept. It was almost endearing, how badly he wanted her to be safe. A strange pull formed in her core, her heartbeat moving a little faster, and she found herself slowly leaning down to place her lips against his forehead. She sat up quickly, startled and slightly embarrassed over her actions. "But I still don't know how I feel," she admitted, trying to place reason behind her sudden impulse.

She stood up slowly, and turned away from Gray to face the rear exit of the guild. _All I know now is that I need to help Natsu, _she thought. _I have to focus_. _I made a promise._ Then she took a few steps towards the exit before being stopped in her tracks by a disapproving voice coming from the opposite side of the room.

"Where exactly are you going, Lucy?"

Lucy turned to find Mirajane staring her down, her eyes filled with concern.

"You'd better not open that door, Lucy. You'd better not leave this room." Her voice was coated thick with a motherly tone.

"Mira, what—" Lucy started.

"Happy told us exactly what happened," Mira explained. "Every last detail. Even down to the fact that this has been going on for some time now. We're surprised you didn't tell us sooner, Lucy…" She bit her lip with worry.

Lucy found herself studying the floor again. She had become well acquainted with the grain and finish of the wooden floorboards. "I have to go after Natsu. I have to help him. I have to get Natsu back…" She trailed off as she found her words increasingly repetitive. She only knew that she had made a promise to someone she loved. She had to keep it.

"It's not safe for you to go, Lucy."

Lucy's eyes remained glued to the floor. "So you agree with Gray then…"

"It would be stupid not to agree with him in this sort of situation. We don't want you to get hurt, Lucy. We could never wish that upon you."

Lucy clenched her fists at her sides. "So all of you think I'm weak then." Lucy regretted the words as soon as they left her lips. It wasn't like her, to be saying things like this. She would never accuse her friends of thinking such things when she knew they only wanted to protect her, place her out of harm's way. After all, they were nakama. They would all fight for each other's sake so they could go on living together.

_Together._ Tears began to form in Lucy's eyes as she mulled over the meaning of the word, her thoughts constantly returning to Natsu. Then she began to believe her own words. Maybe she was weak. She had always feared her guild mates would think she was weak, that she was too dependent on Natsu, Gray and Erza. Too dependent on her spirits. And maybe she was. But all she had ever wanted was to go on living together, with everyone. And now Natsu was no longer there with them. He was losing who he was, his magic, his memories, while they just stood by discussing a matter that required immediate action. Lucy knew that even if she would always have everyone else, her world could not exist without Natsu. Her heart broke at the mere idea and the tears finally broke free, falling endlessly down her cheeks, her eyes wide as the tears fell silently.

Slowly, Lucy raised her head to look up at Mira, her cheeks tinged red and tear stained. "Maybe I am weak, Mira," Lucy said calmly.

Mirajane shook her head as she outstretched a hand towards Lucy. "That's not what I meant, Lucy, we—"

"Maybe I am weak," Lucy continued, "maybe I can't handle everything by myself. But that doesn't change the fact that I made a promise to Natsu and if there is something I definitely can't handle, it's just standing here while he continues to lose everything that he is!" Her eyes widened in disbelief as she found herself shaking. She wrapped her arms around herself as Mira bridged the gap between them and placed a gentle hand on Lucy's forearm.

"I don't think you're weak, Lucy," Mira consoled. "None of us do. We can tell that you're afraid, whether or not you can admit that to yourself. It's not that we think you're weak, we're just afraid that your feelings for Natsu could cloud your judgment. You could be killed if the dragon spirit sees no further use for you."

Lucy hesitated for a moment before looking straight at Mira, a strong resolve glowing in her eyes. "Mira, I love Natsu more than anything, and I will definitely help him however I can, even if it means I'll get hurt. He's risked his life so many times for all of us, so why shouldn't I do the same for him?"

"It's still too dangerous, Lucy," Mira tried to reason. "We should try to plan something out. You can't just go out there alone."

"Just let her go and do whatever she wants, Mira."

Startled, both Mira and Lucy looked down to see Gray, who they had thought was still unconscious, now lying there with eyes open and hands folded across his stomach. Lucy's eyes widened at his words, and she found herself speechless.

Gray turned his head to the side to face them. "Just let her go already." His voice was cold and detached, his eyes distant, as he had obviously overheard their entire conversation. "There's obviously nothing we can do to change her mind."

Silence hung in the air as his words settled. Lucy's arms dropped to her sides as she stared at Gray expectantly. He merely laid there, his eyes closed in frustration before finally saying, "Just go, Lucy." He struggled to sound like he didn't care, even though his heart was screaming for her to stay.

A look of hurt mixed with confusion swept across Lucy's face. Why was he suddenly treating her this way? This whole time she had wished he would just let her go to Natsu's side, and now that he had finally given in, she didn't know what to do. A dull ache pulsated in her heart at his hollow words, as if she wanted him to tell her to stay with him, just as he had done only a few hours before.

"Gray…" Lucy said his name softly, as if giving him another chance to change his mind.

"Go!" Gray growled.

Lucy looked to Mira expectantly. When the silver haired mage said nothing, she took one last look at Gray before finally turning to leave the guild. Once the door closed behind her, there was a small moment of silence in the room before Mira finally spoke.

"She's gone," she whispered.

"Yeah," was Gray's response.

Mira turned to look at Gray. "Why did you say those things to her, Gray? I thought you cared for her. Why didn't you stop her?"

"You could have stopped her too."

Mira sighed. "Honestly, I didn't feel it was my place to do so once you became involved. After all, you finally told her how you feel, didn't you?"

Gray remained silent.

"So why didn't you stop her?"

"Well how would you feel if you were in Lucy's position?"

"Well…"

"How would you feel if Lisanna or Elf-man or someone else you loved was in danger? There wouldn't be any way to change your mind either if that was the case."

Mira's eyes settled on the floor as she mulled over Gray's words.

"And I would never want to use force to make Lucy stay," Gray continued. "If she was going to stay, it should be by her own terms. As much as it hurts me to see her leave, it's just as painful to see her in that state." He was lost in his thoughts for a minute before finally stating his resolve. "But I will always be there to help her when she is in trouble."

"But, Gray, you can't. Your condition hasn't completely improved," Mira cautioned.

Gray grimaced slightly as he sat up slowly, propping himself up on one elbow. He smirked at Mira as she frantically told him to lie back down. "You see," he continued, "there isn't anything I can't do when it comes to protecting Lucy. Even if I get knocked down, I will definitely get right back up and keep fighting for her sake."

Mira watched Gray carefully, unsure of how to respond.

"You've never been in love, have you?" Gray smirked. (**A/N:** Gray always has to be so cool! xD)

A light blush frosted Mira's cheeks and she could only watch bewildered as Gray managed to stumble to his feet. He turned towards Mira and gave her a quick two-finger salute before running after Lucy.

"That idiot. I doubt he'll be able to get very far with all those freshly bandaged wounds," came a voice from behind.

Mira turned to find Erza standing in the doorway and smiled. "Yes, but he's very strong-willed, just like Natsu. Lucy is too," she pointed out.

"Those three sure have gotten themselves into a huge mess since I've been gone, haven't they?"

"A lot has happened in the past month, Erza. I take it the S-class mission went well?"

"It took longer than I had anticipated but in the end I was able to be of help. But I imagine I will have to help those three now. I don't even get a moment's rest, do I?" Erza said, placing a hand against her forehead.

"I'm sure they need your help now more than they ever have," Mira smiled.

"Those idiots. Getting themselves wrapped up in a love triangle during my absence," Erza chuckled fondly, though a slight inkling of irritation also showed on her face.

Mira laughed softly at her reaction. "I'm sure you saw it coming." Then her tone became more serious. "But by now you probably know that's not the most complicated part though. There is actually a high degree of danger involved."

"I think I got a quick idea of the details. Everyone seems to be so caught up in discussing the situation they barely realized I had returned," the scarlet-haired mage pondered. She sighed. "But I guess I'd better go after them now. I doubt Gray will be able to get very far by himself."

"I think they just need to learn that it's okay to depend on each other sometimes. Without each other, they might not be able to get as far as they could. I think we're all the same way," Mira said insightfully.

Erza nodded and said goodbye to Mira before leaving through the rear exit.

"I wish all of you luck," Mira whispered, before her thoughts returned to Gray's last few words before he left. She chuckled to herself, wondering why she was slightly unsettled. "Never been in love, huh?" She turned around and returned to the main hall of the guild, blushing slightly as she caught a glimpse of long green hair.

* * *

><p>I have to say I felt that Mira was a bit OC in this chapter. I was just trying to make her more serious and I'm not too sure if I played that off well. And I'm not sure if everyone will get that pairing reference there in the last paragraph, but I just sort of threw that in there for fun xD But in the next chapter we should get to see another exciting battle! :)<p>

And as I am going along writing this, I find it becomes even harder to write as I have many ideas with how the story is going to progress, but I have very little idea of how to link them together. So I am trying really hard but I'm not sure some of these upcoming chapters will really be so spectacular as I am just trying to link events together.

Also I am becoming more and more conflicted about who I want Lucy to end up with in the end (especially with the most recent manga chapters), and I know quite a few readers really like NaLu but there are also readers who are pulling for GraLu! But fret not, I think I have an idea that will make all of us happy in the end :3 At least I hope so. It's hard to say… xD

Anyway, thank you so much for reading and sorry for making you wait so long for an update!

Please review! :)


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